Heavy duty fiberboard keg



Mmhzs, 1939.

G. STUDLEY 2,152,610

HEAVY DUTY FIBERBOARD KEG Filed Jan. 31, 1958 ma/do?- BY i5: m g

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEAVY DUTYFIBERBOARD KEG Application January 31, 1938, Serial No. 187,869

6 Claims.

This invention relates to containers of the drum or keg type,particularly suitable for packaging of heavy bulk materials.

Such materials as nails, nuts, bolts, metal tubings, and other heavybulk materials, have in the past often been shipped in wooden kegshaving the common barrel construction, including drum heads forming topand bottom closures. When materials of the type referred to comprise thecontents of such containers, the net weight of the contents often runsup to 100 or more pounds, and the containers, being subject to severejolts during the handling normally incident to present daytransportation, undergo considerable strains,

' particularly the closures thereof. The wooden kegs are sometimesreinforced with metallic hoops, both to strengthen the container and toafford suitable washers for the fastening means utilized to secure thedrum heads in the keg. The usual 3 coarse, tough texture of the woodused for the staves' of such kegs permits adequate fastening of the drumheads, as by nails, for such wood provides a satisfactory anchorage forthe nails, without likelihood'of a splitting of the wood even 5 whensevere stresses are imposed upon the head by the contents, as when thekeg is set down. So far as is known, the wooden kegs fulfill theirpackaging purpose in adequate manner.

However, as is obvious, their adoption as a standard packaging method isan item of considerable initial expense, and each and every handlingthereof, from the keg manufacturer, who often is located at somedistance, until the filling operation, involves factors of labor,weight, and space. Barrel shaped articles are at best clumsy andawkward, regardless of how they are handled. The factor of space cannotbe disregarded, as the barrel shaped wooden kegs are usually stored orhandled in numbers by pyramiding,

which is highly space consuming, especially if abutting walls, buildingpartitions, or the like, are not available. Stacking of barrel shapedkegs on their sides is not common because special precautions must betaken to prevent undermining of a stack by displacement of an underlyingunit.

The factor of space shortable has sometimes been overcome by assemblingthe kegs in the users plant just prior to the filling operation.

However, this involves not only capital expenditure for barrelassembling machinery, but also requires the services of a skilled cooperand, in the case of large companies, it is not unusual to find aseparate department confined to wooden keg manufacture, with consequentcomplications. The provision of cheaper, lighter, and more convenientcontainers, suitable for packaging goods of the type previously referredto, has been attempted unsuccessfully in several instances. Fiber boardinherently is completely satisfactory for formation of the upstandingside walls of 5 kegs of this type. But use of fiber board for thispurpose presents a problem in satisfactory attachment of end closures.The structure of fiber board is unfortunately not sufiiciently tough toanchor nails satisfactorily, especially near the marginal edges thereof,and experience has shown that when fiber board containers with woodendrum heads have been experimented with, either the fastening means ornails are torn completely from the fiber board by severe jolts, or elsethe drum heads become loosened by repeated movement of the fasteningmeans or nails in the fiber board, resulting successively in additionalinternal space for movement of the contents, increased impacts againstthe head, and final splitting of the fiber board, thus permitting thecontents to spill from the keg. The likelihood of such occurrence, evenin only a small percentage of kegs used, has been sufiicient to preventadoption thereof, due in part to the high per unit value of the contentsin containers of this size.

Fiber board kegs have therefore not heretofore been found successful inthe packaging of heavy materials of the type previously referred to.

My invention relates to the provision of fiber board kegs which overcomethe previously encountered difiiculties of.'securing a drum headconstruction which will permit commercial transportation therein of suchheavy materials. Kegs constructed in accordance with my invention havewithstood tests relative to strength and durability, as specified byprospective users, in a completely satisfactory manner. In addition, thenature of my construction permits delivery of the kegs to a user inknocked down condition, if de- 40 sired, thereby reducing tremendouslycubic foot transportation charges on unfilled space, often encounteredin empty barrel shipments, and permitting freight shipments heretoforeout of the question because of prohibitive rates. At the same time, theknocked down kegs may be so easily and expeditiously assembled by theuser thatthey can be easily stored in a minimum space in a knocked downcondition until just prior to the filling operation, and may then be setup, as required, without the services of specialized skilled operatorsor complicated equipment.

These and other advantages of my construction will be more fullyapparent from the accompanying description of the preferred form ofmyinvention, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of my invention, with portionsthereof broken away to illustrate in cross section the drum headfastening construction;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1 with aportion of the drum head broken away; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged details taken from Figs. 1 and'2.

My kegs have substantially straight side wall portions formed preferablyfrom fiat, rectangular sheets of fiber board, shaped into tubular form.Thus, in Fig. 1, I have illustrated a fiber board sheet Ill, havingoverlapping ends and fastened in tubular form in any convenient manner,as by rivets or a series of staples l2. Either before or after thisshaping operation, I form in the sheet l0 two internal annular groovesl4 and l6, spaced inwardly from edges of the tube, one at the top andone at the bottom. Preferably these grooves are creases formed by astamping or rolling operation, and do not involve a cutting removal ofany portion of the stock, thus avoiding as much as possible anyweakening of the fiber board structure.

The drum head construction, which is preferably identical at both endsof the tube, comprises a circular drum head 20, preferably shaped asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, to have a circumferential surface 24 of greaterdiameter tapering inwardly to a circumferential edge 26, of lessdiameter. The drum head 20 is fitted internally of the tube, as shown,so that the bottom edge of For convenience in positioning the hoopexteriorly of the fiber board, the bottom portion 32 may also beprovided with a bottom flare 38. The hoop 30 is so shaped and hasinternal diameters so related to the diameter of the drum head, plusfiber board thickness, that, as the hoop 30 is brought to the positionshown in Fig. 1, marginal portions of the fiber board sheet Ill arefolded radially inwardly by surface 36 over the top edge of head 20, tocrimp the outer edge 39 of the fiber board, as shown in Fig. 3, to adiameter which is less than the diameter of portion 24 of drum head 29;and preferably the internal diameter of the top hoop portion 34 also isless than the greatest diameter of head 20 so that the entire thicknessof edge 39 is crimped inwardly of the circumferential edge 24 ofgreatest diameter of head 20; and in any event is no greater than thegreatest diameter of head 20. The hoop is preferably driven into theposition shown by a suitable press, and may then be fastened in suchposition by a series of staples 40, nails, or other fastening means,which pass through the hoop 30, acting as a washer, and fiber board IIand lodge in the head 2!].

By this construction the fiber board anchorage of the staples 40 willtake very little of any thrust I exerted by the contents, either whileat rest or in motion for the reason that the tough and somewhat rigidcrimp of outer edge 39 of the fiber boarc cylinder, held in suchposition by hoop 30, very effectively prevents displacement of the head2|] especially when, as in my preferred form, the internal diameter ofportion 34 of hoop 3|] i: smaller than the diameter of the drum portion24 Forces exerted upon the head 20 by contents 01 the keg will betransmitted through the fibei board H! to the surface 36 of hoop 3D, andhorizontal components of such forces will be completely absorbed by thestructural rigidity of ar annulusthe hoop 30-in its own plane.

The fiber board sheet H], which may already have formed longitudinallythereof, adjacent eacl'. of the edges, the two creases l4 and 16, may beshipped to a keg user in fiat form, together with two drumheads 20 andtwo hoops 30, of the type illustrated in Fig. 1, the sheet l0 having alength dimension'som'e'what greater than the greatest circumferentialmeasurement of the drum heads. The blank and such drum heads may beassembled to form the keg previously described, by stapling, orotherwise fastening the blank into tubular form and thereafter insertingheads 20 and positioning hoops 30 to fold over marginal portions of thetube It]. Fastening means 40 can then be inserted. Quite in contrast tothe involved procedure of wooden barrel assemblage, the operation ofassembling my keg requires at most an ordinary stapling machine, and ahammer.

My kegs may also find convenient use for shipment of granulated orpowdered materials, and in order to provide a tighter fit between thedrum head and the fiber board adjacent the overlapped portions of thefiber board, the grooves l4 and I6 may be chamfered, as illustrated inthe enlarged detail of groove l4, shown in Fig. 4, by reference 10,along that portion of the groove which is on the internal overlappedportion of thefiber board. By such chamfering, the crease is made smoothand more nearly circular, to provide a close proximity between thecircumferential edge of the head 20 and the fiber board. The chamferingoperation may be done either before or after formation of the fiberboard sheet into tubular form.

It will be understood that other methods of forming the tubular fiberboard side wall portion may be satisfactory, and it is not necessary tohave the overlapped vertical seam, which I have illustrated as mypreferred form. Likewise, while I have suggested the use of wood in theformation of the drum heads 20, such drum heads may be formed from othersuitable materials, alone or in combination.

The grooves I 4 and I6 are a particular aid to proper assemblage of thedrum head, by insuring a seating of the drum head in a proper position,the fiber board below the groove l4 having a tendency to contractinwardly, as shown in the drawing.

I claim:

1. A keg of the character described, comprising i a fiber board sheet inoverlapped cylindrical form having at least at one end thereof a drumhead construction including a circular drum head seated interiorly ofsaid cylinder, and a metallic hoop having a substantially cylindricallower portion of an internal diameter greater than any diameter of saidhead, and an adjacent frustoconical portion tapering upwardly andradially inwardly therefrom to an internal diameter less than thegreatest diameter of said head, said hoop being preformed and movable asa unit relative to said fiber board upon assembly or disassembly of saiddrum head, but after assembly, being fixedly positioned exteriorly ofsaid cylinder with the cylindrical portion thereof disposedcircumferentially around said head and with said frusto-conical portionextending upwardly over said head, thereby folding marginal portions ofsaid fiber board radially inwardly over the top edge of said head, andpresenting an unconfined top edge of said fiber board crimped to anexterior diameter smaller than the greatest diameter of said head,whereby accidental displacement of said head from said keg is prevented.

2. A keg of the character described, comprising a fiber board sheethaving opposing edges thereof overlapped to form a substantiallycylindrical side wall portion of said keg, said keg having at least atone end thereof a drum head construction including a drum head seatedinteriorly of said cylinder, a preformed metallic hoop having asubstantially cylindrical lower portion of an internal diameter greaterthan any diameter of said head, an adjacent frusto-conical portiontapering upwardly and radially inwardly therefrom to an internaldiameter uniformly less than the greatest diameter of said head, and anexternal top bead, said hoop being positioned Wholly exteriorly of saidfiberboard with the cylindrical portion thereof disposedcircumferentially around said head and with said frustoconical portionextending upwardly over said head, thereby folding marginal portions ofsaid fiber board radially inwardly over the top edge of said head, andpresenting an unconfined top edge of said fiber board crimped to anexterior diameter smaller than the greatest diameter of said head, andfastening means for retaining said hoop so positioned relative to saidhead, whereby accidental displacement of said head from said keg isprevented.

3. A keg of the character described, comprising a fiber board sheet inoverlapped cylindrical form having at least at one end thereof a drumhead construction including an internal annular groove in said cylinderspaced from an edge thereof, a circular drum head seated interiorly ofsaid cylinder with a circumferential edge thereof disposed in saidgroove, a preformed metallic hoop having a substantially cylindricallower portion of an internal diameter greater than any diameter of saidhead, and an adjacent frusto-conical portion tapering upwardly andradially inwardly therefrom, said hoop being positioned exteriorly ofsaid cylinder with the cylindrical portion thereof disposedcircumferentially around said head and with said frusto-conical portionfolding marginal portions of said fiber board radially inwardly over thetop edge of said head, thereby crimping the edge of said fiber board toa diameter smaller than the greatest diameter of said head, andfastening means for retaining said hoop so positioned relative to saidhead, whereby accidental displacement of said head from said keg isprevented.

4. A keg of the character described, comprising a fiber board sheet inoverlapped cylindrical form, having at least at one end thereof a drumhead construction including a drum head positioned interiorly of saidcylinder, a metallic hoop having a substantially cylindrical lowerportion of an internal diameter greater than any diameter of said headand an adjacent frusto-conical portion tapering upwardly and radiallyinwardly therefrom to an internal diameter no greater than the diameterof the outer surface of said drum head, said hoop being preformed andmovable as a unit relative to said fiber board upon assembly ordisassembly of said head but after assembly being positioned exteriorlyof said cylinder with the cylindrical portion thereof disposedcircumferentially around said head, and with said frusto-conical portionextending upwardly, thereby folding marginal portions of said fiberboard radially inwardly over the top edge of said head, and presentingan unconfined top edge of said fiber board crimped to a diameter smallerthan the diameter of the outer surface of said head, and fastening meansfor retaining said hoop so positioned relative to said head, wherebyaccidental displacement of said head from said keg is prevented.

5. A keg of the character described, comprising a fiber board sheet inoverlapped cylindrical form having at least at one end thereof a drumhead construction including a chamfered groove along the internaloverlapping portion of said fiber board spaced from an edge thereof, acircular drum head seated interiorly of said cylinder with a portion ofa circumferential edge thereof disposed in said chamfered groove, ametallic hoop having a substantially cylindrical lower portion of aninternal diameter greater than any diameter of said head and an adjacentfrusto-conical portion tapering upwardly and radially inwardly therefromto an internal diameter no greater than the greatest diameter of saidhead, said hoop being positioned exteriorly of said cylinder with thecylindrical portion thereof disposed circumferentially around said head,and with said frusto-conical portion extending upwardly over said head,thereby folding marginal portions of said fiber board radially inwardlyover the top edge of said head, and presenting an unconfined edge ofsaid fiber board crimped to a diameter smaller than the outer surfacediameter of said head, and fastening means for retaining said hoop sopositioned relative to said head, whereby accidental displacement ofsaid head from said keg is prevented.

6. A keg of the character described, comprising a fiber board sheet inoverlapped cylindrical form having at least at one end thereof a drumhead construction including a circular drum head seated interiorly ofsaid cylinder, and a metallic hoop having a substantially cylindricallower portion of an internal diameter greater than any diameter of saidhead, and an upper frusto-conical portion tapering upwardly and radiallyinwardly therefrom to an internal diameter less than the greatestdiameter of said head, said hoop being preformed and movable as a unitrelative to said fiber board upon assembly and removable therefrom as aunit thereby to permit disassembly of said hoop and said drum headsubstantially intact and in condition for ready reassembly, but afterassembly, being fixedly positioned exteriorly of said cylinder with thecylindrical portion thereof disposed circumferentially around said headand with said frustoconical portion extending upwardly over said head,thereby folding marginal portions of said fiber board radially inwardlyover the top edge of said head, and present the top edge of said fiberboard crimped to an exterior diameter smaller than the greatest diameterof said head, whereby accidental displacement of said head from said kegis prevented.

GERARD L. STUDLEY.

